1949 Plymouth fuel tank removal

[Tim Larson]

After I filled that gas tank on my '49 for the first time this spring I noticed a slow leak that I think is due to the tank being so full and sitting on an incline it is leaking through the rubber that connects the fill neck to the tank. I want to remove the tank to replace this rubber hose, but am wondering the specific steps required and it is a bit cramped underneath. 

 

When I put the car in the garage on a level surface the leak stopped. 

 

Any tips are appreciated!

[Sam Buchanan]

The easiest solution.............don't top off the tank!!

 

I don't know if you have an early or late '49, they have different body styles. The early version is identical to my "48, the late version may have a different connection at the fuel filler. If the filler neck comes out through the fender you can probably replace the large hose without dropping the tank.

 

Here is how I removed the tank the first time on my '48. This can be a pretty straight-forward job or it can be more challenging if the strap hardware is corroded.

 

Disconnect and cap off the fuel line. Be careful that you don't lose the little brass ferrule in the tank fitting!

 

Drain the fuel at this point if you can't readily get the drain open on the tank, better to do it through the line fitting than break the drain fitting loose from the tank.

 

Disconnect the rubber hoses on the filler at the fender. They may be hard as concrete and will have to be cut off, this is a tight fit and may require patience....possibly a lot of patience.

 

Place a floor jack under the tank with a piece of plywood supporting the tank.

 

Open the sender access plate in the trunk floor and disconnect the sender wires.

 

Now......the fun begins. You need to remove the straps securing the tank. Look carefully under the tank and the inside of the trunk to see how the hardware is arranged in your car. Do whatever is necessary to loosen these fasteners so the straps can be removed. If they are corroded, well, this will be a bit more involved.

 

If you are lucky the tailpipe won't be in the way of dropping the tank. If not.....you have some more work ahead of you......domino theory.....

 

Installing is the reverse. An extra set of hands is helpful but not absolutely necessary.

 

Edited May 23 by Sam Buchanan

[Ivan_B]

Are you sure it is leaking from the rubber filler junction? Could be also the fuel level sender gasket, etc. As previously mentioned, you should be able to replace the rubber without dropping the tank. Even if you are unable to remove the filler pipe, I do not believe that this it a butt connection. There should be a couple of inches of space in between the two pipes so the new hose can probably be squeezed in.

[Tim Larson]

17 hours ago, Sam Buchanan said:

The easiest solution.............don't top off the tank!!

 

I don't know if you have an early or late '49, they have different body styles. The early version is identical to my "48, the late version may have a different connection at the fuel filler. If the filler neck comes out through the fender you can probably replace the large hose without dropping the tank.

 

Here is how I removed the tank the first time on my '48. This can be a pretty straight-forward job or it can be more challenging if the strap hardware is corroded.

 

Disconnect and cap off the fuel line. Be careful that you don't lose the little brass ferrule in the tank fitting!

 

Drain the fuel at this point if you can't readily get the drain open on the tank, better to do it through the line fitting than break the drain fitting loose from the tank.

 

Disconnect the rubber hoses on the filler at the fender. They may be hard as concrete and will have to be cut off, this is a tight fit and may require patience....possibly a lot of patience.

 

Place a floor jack under the tank with a piece of plywood supporting the tank.

 

Open the sender access plate in the trunk floor and disconnect the sender wires.

 

Now......the fun begins. You need to remove the straps securing the tank. Look carefully under the tank and the inside of the trunk to see how the hardware is arranged in your car. Do whatever is necessary to loosen these fasteners so the straps can be removed. If they are corroded, well, this will be a bit more involved.

 

If you are lucky the tailpipe won't be in the way of dropping the tank. If not.....you have some more work ahead of you......domino theory.....

 

Installing is the reverse. An extra set of hands is helpful but not absolutely necessary.

 

Mine is a late '49 model and has the ribbed bumpers. The filler neck does come through the fender and has a rubber grommet. 

 

I will take your suggestions into consideration and appreciate your help!

 

I was mainly asking so that I don't miss something. 

[Tim Larson]

17 hours ago, Ivan_B said:

Are you sure it is leaking from the rubber filler junction? Could be also the fuel level sender gasket, etc. As previously mentioned, you should be able to replace the rubber without dropping the tank. Even if you are unable to remove the filler pipe, I do not believe that this it a butt connection. There should be a couple of inches of space in between the two pipes so the new hose can probably be squeezed in.

 

I am quite sure that it is leaking where I think it's leaking. When I had it parked at an incline the rear driver side area of the tank was wet and it looked like it went up to the filler hose connection. Thanks for your input!

[JerseyHarold]

When reassembling the gas tank straps, I recommend using anti-seize grease on the threaded end of the straps.  It will make future work much easier!

[Frank Gooz]

I had removed the tank on my 1950 Dodge a short while back. 

Sam’s plan sounds great . The more gas you take out the easier the tank will be to manage. 

Good luck

 

Frank